Fables of the Realm
by Alycoris
Summary: In the Fantastical Realm of Witchleny, tales of Knights and Wizards alike are common. However, you'll find that not all stories have happy endings.
1. The Timeless Knight Errant

_"Many Knights have existed to protect this Digital World, but there has only been one MedievalDukemon in all of them." _

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a boy.

The boy wished that he could have a friend,  
a special partner that he could always rely on.

As fate would have had it,  
the boy's wish was granted in the form of a dragon.

The boy and dragon had many adventures together.

They became inseparable…

But fate was cruel, and forced the two to separate ways.

Time passed.

Both the Dragon and Boy grew up;

The once innocent Dragon had become a Gallant Knight.

And the Boy grew, wishing and hoping that one day they would meet again.

The Knight, after being forsaken by a God  
And facing the end of another world,  
came back to the boy's side as he had left;  
in the form of a Dragon.

The two of them then lived happily,  
but became estranged as time passed by.

Eventually, as time came to pass,  
the Boy learned of the Dragon's true nature as a Knight,  
and the two became partners again,  
but not in the same way as before.

"You are my Lord. I wish to protect you, no matter what."  
This was the Knight's promise to the Boy.

But the Boy was unhappy,  
as he wanted the Knight to be treated as his equal like before.  
He wished to fight by the Knight's side as he had done years ago.

But alas, the boy remained silent,  
Ashamed of his own inadequacy,  
And nothing came to pass.

Time went on.

The Other World the Knight had left behind beckoned for him to return.

Taking up his Lance and Shield,  
the Knight fought valiantly against the enemy,  
keeping the Boy as his secret as he ventured farther into the Other World.

As a result, he left the Boy further behind.

The enemy whom he fought learned of the Boy's existence,  
and the Knight's worst fears became real.

The Boy was killed.

After losing sight of what had spurred him to become a Knight in the first place,  
the Knight reverted into a Dragon,  
and began to destroy the World with his grief and despair.

But before the Other World was completely destroyed, he was stopped.

Betrayed by God, the Other World, and by Fate itself… What did he have left?

Broken and without purpose,  
the Knight abandoned the Other World and everything in it,  
In a vain attempt to escape his regrets.

Instead, he came in contact with a dying Realm.

Taking up the Magic Lance of Dynas,  
the Fallen Knight drove out the Invaders of the Realm.

After saving it from the brink of its destruction,  
He came to be known as its protector and ruler.

As a reward from the Realm, known as Witchelny,  
The Knight was granted an existence out of time, or Timelessness.

This allowed him three things:

The inability to age or die, and the power travel through time freely.

With this power, he traveled through dimensions,  
Appearing and disappearing with the flutter of a red mantle,  
only staying long enough to set right what had been set wrong  
as an illusive Knight Errant.

It is said that there are infinite realities and times.

Within all of these, the Knight Errant's existence became fabled.

The lone, solitary Knight Errant that lives between these realities lives in repentance;  
He walks the path of eternal atonement.  
So as long as he believes the Boy can be saved,  
He will live on forever in isolation to ensure that.

However, the Knight Errant himself can never be saved.  
Nor will he ever know rest or closure.  
Time has stopped for him;  
There is no end in sight.

It is said that even now, he exists.


	2. The Wizard of Witchleny

Of those who were mourned, nearly nothing was known of the one who saved Light.

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a young wizard who hailed from the Realm of Witchelny.

Being a protégé of his kind, he mastered the secrets of Sorcery with ease—  
Be it the strongest of magic, paltry tricks, and illusion,  
The charming young wizard was a cunning youth.

One day, he grew bored of the safety that Witchelny provided,  
And found that despite all the magic he had learned,  
He had no real purpose.

He left to meet the Duke of Witchelny;  
And with the Knight's blessing,  
And left to seek his own fortune in a world unknown  
With naught but his wit and strength.

As time came to pass,  
The Wizard found himself weary,  
As he was unable to find the companionship that he yearned.

What he came to be acquainted with  
Was the crushing loneliness of having nothing,  
And being nothing in a world that he did not know.

"In this world I have abandoned my own for,  
What is there for me to do here?  
Is there nothing for me?  
Why did I come  
here

.

.

.

"Wake up."

The Wizard did not stir.  
Weakened from hunger and the despair that had burdened him for so long,  
He saw no purpose in answering.

He was alone.

However, fate would not permit him to die yet.

The next time he awoke,  
He found that a Cat had saved him.  
A cat, with eyes as blue as the sky of Witchelny itself.

And so, the Wizard dedicated his life to the Cat.  
By her side, did he stay throughout the torment that came to them  
By serving under a Lord who lacked compassion.

He learned of the Cat's past,  
And came to understand,  
That certainly—

This was not the place where she was meant to be.

Taking on this mission to fulfill for her sake,  
He traversed into another world  
To find the place where she truly deserved to be.

It was a World of those without Magic and Power,  
But those who had potential.  
A citadel built in concrete and the ideas of Man.

It was in this world he took it upon himself to search for the Place,  
And the Child who could fill the void in his dearest friend's heart.

So he searched,

And searched,

And searched.

When finally he found her.

Unfortunately, before he could complete his task of delivering  
"The Crest of Light",

The child was taken, and his dear friend was imprisoned.

And other Children had rallied to take her back.

It proved fruitless, and he knew.  
His thoughts raced, as he sustained fatal injury—

But he could not fall here.

And so, the Wizard used all of his Magic,  
And for the first time,  
froze time.

In this stopped world,  
He glimpsed the Timeless Duke.

There were no words need to be said.

Only a nod.

And he understood.

As time resumed,  
The Wizard sacrificed himself to protect the Child and his Dearest Friend.

From his death,  
An Angel in all her beauty greeted him,  
And he finally closed his eyes to rest in quietus.

His Dearest Friend would truly never forget him,  
Nor would the Child.  
His memory would be cherished.

In that respect,  
The Wizard finally achieved what he sought all those years ago.

He found and lived a life with meaning.

And there was nothing more he could ask for.


	3. Genesis of the White Paladin

A long, long time ago, after Witchelny fled,  
The world had dissolved into absolute Chaos.

There was no order;  
Peace was but a fleeting dream grasped by none.  
Darkness was prevalent all through the land,  
Demons ruled, and God was reduced to nearly nothing.

Fear and Power defined the course of the world.  
Above everything, stood the Great Demon Beast, GranDracmon.

He was unlike any other entity, at the time.

With a word, he was capable of corrupting angels.  
With a single look, he could control the hearts of the weak.

He possessed a power unheard of,  
Capable of even bringing down God.

In his machinations against God,  
The Ruler of the Dark Area created Seven Demon Lords,  
Which in turn began to corrupt the world.

A Digimon, belonging to an ancient tribe,  
Prayed to the God.

With the last of its strength,  
The God awoke the Digimon's true potential and power by answering such a prayer,  
Thus imbuing it with might unheard of, even to the Demon Beast.

A Paladin, bearing the shining Omega Blade, was born of God's will.

With blade in hand, the Paladin singlehandedly stayed the Darkness,  
Driving it back with such a force that he inspired others to retaliate.

As such, the Paladin became hailed as a hero.

Throughout the land,  
Time and time again he protected its inhabitants,  
and thus fighting to take back the world.

However, even with his unparalleled might,  
The Paladin could not completely slay the Demon Beast.

An unknown factor within his body,  
The same that allowed him to overcome God to begin with,  
Made it quite impossible to destroy him completely.

But still, the Paladin continued to fight his unending battle.

As time came to pass,  
The World of Light became evenly matched the with Realm of Dark.

Still, the Demon Beast had become reclusive;  
Day after day he sent search after search,  
Looking for something the Paladin knew nothing of:

Another being, who was born with the factor as well.

The being, a mere child born in the days of strife,  
Rejected the Demon Beast's offers of temptation.

As a result, the child was hunted for his X-Antibody.

One day, the Paladin came across the child by chance.  
In defending the child from his pursuers,  
The Paladin recognized the child's potential was far greater than his own.

In short, the Paladin took in the child as his own,  
Training him as a heir to his own will.

However, our story is not over, yet.

As the Demon Beast remained undefeated...


	4. Exodus of the Demon Beast

Time came to pass.

Under the tutelage of the White Paladin,  
The child grew into befitting of his heir.  
He assumed the power of a Perfect level,  
And donned Gold Armor and the dual blades Grandalpha.

However, the Paladin,  
Despite his growing pride in the young Heir whom he had come to think as a son,  
Worry grew as well.

Age began creeping on the White Paladin.  
Despite his immeasurable strength.  
While he had faith in his son,  
He had a predicament:

Once he were gone,  
Who would be there to protect the World from Darkness?  
Who would be there to protect the World from the Demon Beast,  
Whom he had not yet defeated?

Likewise, the Demon Beast had worries as well.

He decided, that the Heir was to die before he reached his Ultimate,  
Lest the Demon Beast completely lose all that he had come to gain.

In a desperate attack, he dispatched the Demon Lords to fight against the White Paladin.  
The Demon Beast himself rose from the Dark Area, which he had created for himself,  
And attacked the now vulnerable Heir.

Realizing the gambit of the Demon Beast,  
The White Paladin fought as he had never done before.

He slew the Seven Demon Lords,  
Before frantically rushing to the side of his Heir.

The Demon Beast, rather than immediately killing the Heir,  
Chose to torture him; to feed him illusions, thus tormenting him,  
In order to break the Heir and cause him to fall, to his side.

When the Heir refused to break, it was then,  
The Demon Beast decided that the Paladin had engraved his beliefs into the Heir's very soul.

Believing that it proved useless to turn the Heir,  
He finally chose to strike.

However, before the final blow could be struck,  
The White Paladin shielded the Heir with his own body,  
And thus sustained a fatal blow.

The shock of seeing the Paladin-  
His father, reduced to such a state,  
Triggered something within the young Heir.

He was realized, completely into the Obsidian-armored Knight, Alphamon.

In retaliation, before the Demon Beast could act,  
The Obsidian Knight unleashed his complete potential.

In doing so, by his own power alone,  
Alphamon drove the Demon Beast back into the Dark Area;  
Because the Beast could not be killed completely,  
Alphamon then sealed Beast and his Evil away-  
Confining him to his ruined empire as a prison.

Now alone, the newly fledged Knight rushed to the dying Paladin's side.

"Imperialdramon... Why did you protect me?"

"You are like a son to me, Alphamon."

"You were but a rowdy child at first,  
But I cannot be prouder,  
To have been given the chance to watch you grow...  
To watch you mature into the fine Knight that you are now.  
To... let you perish now would be a fault of my own."

He faltered, taking a deep breath.

"Will you hear out my request?"

"Yes- of course, father."

And so, the old paladin smiled before continuing.

"This world needs protection.  
Protection from those who seek to destroy it.  
I've spent my life, dedicated it to the purpose of protecting this world.  
I was fortunate enough to meet you, and now..."

"Father..."

"You are a Knight, Alphamon.  
My finest, and only pupil.  
The day has come where you have surpassed me, this I am sure...  
But a single Knight can only do so much on his own...  
Alphamon, I ask of you... take the Omega Blade to Yggdrasil in my stead."

"Your sword?" Alphamon asked, bewildered. "But why?"

"I'm afraid, I will not live to see the Royal Knights myself, but know that you are the First.  
The first of many... of others who will come to join you with time... but for now..."

He strained, handing the iconic engraved blade which he carried into every battle to the obsidian-armored Knight.

"This blade bears my will.  
I want our God to give this weapon life-  
But the child born of this sword will be not a weapon,  
But a Knight to be your second.  
A Warrior- no... a brother, who I hope will inherit the same love you and I share for this world."

"..."

"Please... watch the Digimon born of the sword for me. Protect this world."

"I promise... Father."

Content, the Paladin relaxed,  
Thus closing his eyes,  
Awaiting peaceful quietus.

Alphamon, his son,  
Stayed by his side until the very end.  
Holding the Omegamon blade as the Paladin uttered his last words.

"I wish... that one day... he will come to know how much love I hold for him as well..."

And so,  
After days of endless strife,  
The Paladin met his end.

He would not see the world protected by the Knights,  
Nor would he bear witness to the fate that awaited his sons.


	5. The Alpha and The Omega

With a heavy heart, the First of the Royal Knights took the blade to the creator of the world itself.  
Such a being that could only be called "God".

Heeding the loyal Paladin's final request, God set out to work.

However, in the Second's creation,  
God came across a fault.

By itself, the Digimon born of the blade could not exist.

To solve this issue barring it from its birth,  
Those who bore the Crests of Courage and Friendship were used to grant the blade life.

But before the process was complete,  
Yggdrasil betrayed the Heir of the White Paladin.

The First of the Royal Knights was outraged.

* * *

"Yggdrasil... what is the meaning of this?!"

_For the sake of this world, knights are needed to protect it. _  
_Omegamon shall be MY Knight._

"You would betray Imperialdramon's wishes!? Yggdrasil-"

_You are to sleep, Alphamon. _  
_This age will come to and end with Imperialdramon's death, and your disappearance._

"How dare you!" Alphamon roared, straining against the bonds Yggdrasil had set on him. "How dare... you..."

But if was far too late.

Hopeless, Alphamon began to fall into a deep slumber.

"Fa... ther..."

- These were the last words he, the Heir of the White Paladin, spoke.

* * *

As strong as Alphamon was, he could not withstand the influence of God.

Slowly, his memories began to seep out of him.  
Memories of the days he had spent with his father.  
All forgotten within his mind,  
But sleeping, deep within his heart.

He fell into a deep sleep-

A slumber that he would not wake from for a long time.

His existence became hailed as nothing more than a legend- a fable, if you will.

And that, is how the treacherous god stole the family of the Royal Knight, Alphamon.

With his memories sealed by God,  
He would never come to remember what had been taken from him.

Whether this was for better or worse,  
None can say.

And what of the child born of the Omega Blade?

He was raised by God.

He grew, not knowing the origin of his birth,  
Having been lied to by God since the very beginning.

The two brothers, Alpha and Omega.

By design, the First would always be the first to die.  
If there was ever a moment where the world should end,  
He would appear only for that reason,  
And give his life to protect it.

Giving him the name, "The Aloof Hermit".

By design, the Second would continue to live.  
Lacking family or emotions, he would always serve God;  
He would not be allowed to die,  
As he was the strongest Knight of God.

Giving him the name, "The Omega of Power."

As a failsafe to protect this world,  
God created this system,  
Thus locking the two forever in a cruel fate.

The First would never remember his past,  
Or the family that was taken away from him.  
He would never remember his past lives either;  
And would continue to exist to save this world from destruction.

Likewise,

The Second would never realize his connection to the First,  
And would always exist to support him.  
The truth would forever be kept from him,  
And he will continue to protect this world by his lonesome.

Neither would remember their origin-

The two brothers would forever work together in an endless cycle,  
Together, as the First and Last.

Unknowingly, but perhaps, it was kinder of the God to do so.

But God, in the end, could not separate the heirs to the Paladin's will completely.

That, however, is another story...


End file.
